By Kylie Jennings
The first First-Year Focus of the year has officially happened! The first one was focused on alcohol and how to ‘Maximize Your Buzz.’ The focus of the next two is to be announced closer to the date. Save the date of Monday, October 30, and November 27 for the next first-year focuses. Remember that these are required for all first-year/freshman students to attend!
These interactive programs are hosted by Collegiate Empowerment, a non-profit organization that offers a variety of interesting and educational shows and seminars to be offered at college campuses. Some of the other ones offered are “Zero Shades of Gray,” which is about sexual assault prevention, “1 Reason Why Not,” which is about mental health and well-being, or even “Being Broke $ucks,” which is about financial education. Each and every one of these programs is designed to be interactive, fun, empowering, and educational. Collegiate Empowerment recognizes that a lot of these programs are required and, therefore, aims to try and make the most of students’ time. Their main focus is “What Every College Student Needs to Know,” and it’s not hard to see that they’ve been nailing this pretty well. They have been offering these programs since 1995, nearly 28 years now!
The one freshman did first was “Maximize your buzz.” The main focus was on why people drink, what people drink, and how to drink responsibly. According to Collegiate Empowerment, “Alcohol is not about drinking; it’s about who you are.” The biggest takeaway was 0-1-2-3: zero tolerance under 21, one drink per hour, two-fisted drinks, and three drinks per day. This was accommodated by a semi-comedic show and small games like Never Have I Ever and Fact or Myth. Western New England University also added to the fun and excitement by hiding Dunkin Donuts gift cards under chairs for students to find. Similarly, they had giveaways like a bundle of Dunkin Donuts gift cards, Western New England University “swag,” and so more!
There’s so much that the freshman had to look forward to, and it’s guaranteed that the next two events will be just as fun. Remember, you make the most of your own life, so it’s up to you to make things worthwhile.
